RELATED: Full race results | Busch wins Overton’s 200
Ryan Preece was on triple-duty during a stacked weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He raced in the Whelen Engineering All-Star Shootout, the Whelen Modified Eastern Propane and Oil 100, and the NASCAR XFINITY Overton’s 200.
How did he sum up his weekend?
“Real big moment for the modified squad,” Preece said.
That moment was planted Friday afternoon, but it didn’t come to fruition until Saturday evening.
After a victory Friday in the All-Star Shootout, Preece took to the track Saturday afternoon for the Eastern Propane and Oil 100.
He and veteran Ryan Newman alternated the lead position for up to 84 laps, while Doug Coby took the spot briefly at Lap 82. In the final two laps, Bobby Santos came from near the rear to take the lead in a close battle for the checkered flag with Preece, Newman, and Coby.
Newman spun out after a clash with Coby during the four-car fight for first place. Santos pulled out the victory, but Preece was not far behind in a second-place finish.
Later that same day, Preece geared up for the XFINITY Series race, but this time, in a firesuit embedded with stitching that read, “Joe Gibbs Racing.”
JGR recruited the full-time Whelen Modified Tour driver last week to run two races for the team, including the Overton’s 200 in New Hampshire and at Iowa on July 29. Preece raced full-time in the XFINITY Series in 2016. But the Overton’s 200 was Preece’s first XFINITY race since November 2016 in the Ford EcoBoost 300, where he finished 21st.
Preece started the race sixth and maintained a position in the top 10 throughout the race. In Stage 1, he finished behind stage winner Kyle Larson and took fourth place in Stage 2.
In the end of his debut with JGR, Preece finished a career-best second behind teammate Kyle Busch while beating top gunners Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski to the finish line.
Preece attempted to be modest in jubilation, but it was clear his finish in the Overton’s 200 was the culmination of a solid weekend at the ‘Magic Mile.’
“Really proud of Joe Gibbs Racing for giving me this opportunity and Toyota to be behind me,” Preece said. “One position short, but it was to Kyle Busch, so what are you gonna do?”
And to crew chief Chris Gabehart, a second-place finish to a driver like Busch could foreshadow something long-term for Preece and Joe Gibbs Racing.
“JGR is about winning races, and in his first start at JGR, he came up one short against one of the best,” said Gabehart. “I think as far as talent goes, he’s got a shot.”